What’s New

July 2015Monique Y. Wells Wins Best Pinterest Award

The ceremony for the 2014 Black Weblog Award was held on June 20, 2015 in Austin, Texas, where the selection committee announced that our own Monique Y. Wells won the Best Pinterest Award for its competition!

We're pleased to announce the publication of our new e-book about Paris!

Dining Out in Paris - What You Need to Know before You Get to the City of Light provides you with the knowledge and confidence that you need to enter into a Parisian restaurant to enjoy a fine meal and a wonderful dining experience.

One is entitled Dining Out in Paris – Our Top Twelve Restaurant Recommendations. We review at least one restaurant per week and have interviewed the chefs or owners of establishments that we found particularly appealing. Among these, we selected twelve that we believe travelers to Paris will enjoy. As a special bonus, we will include our popular For Your Dining Pleasure dining guide in the book. Dining Out in Paris is now being formatted for Kindle and will soon be available on Amazon.com.

Another book that we plan to publish soon is a second volume of our acclaimed book Paris Insights – An Anthology.

As of the end of December we will no longer publish our Paris Insights newsletter. We began writing it in February 2000 and have had a wonderful time exploring the city to discover new insights to share about lesser-known historical and cultural elements that make it such a fascinating travel destination. We thank all of our subscribers for your support all these years!

In April 2013, Monique participated in a special series of interviews called Paris – A Personal View. With soundscape specialist Des Coulem, she strolled through the Luxembourg Garden and recorded her thoughts about why the park is so special to her. Des has recently informed us that Monique’s recording was officially entered into the British Library Sound & Moving Image Archive in London. More information about her experience can be found on her blog at the following link: http://entreetoblackparis.blogspot.fr/2013/11/sounds-of-luxembourg-garden-at-british.html

Congratulations to Mileta Foster of Smart Travel in San Francisco and Frances C. Zeigler, CTC of Special Occasions Travel Services in the Washington, D.C. area for having successfully completed Paris - An Afro-centric Perspective! As a Certified Travel Counselor, Frances has earned 5 continuing education units through The Travel Institute.

Discover Paris! is partnering with The Travel Institute to bring this destination specialist course to travel professionals everywhere. Even if you are not a certified travel professional, you can take this course to enhance the services you provide for clients wishing to visit Paris and explore the African Diaspora experience there.

June 2013Discover Paris! Nominated for the 1st Annual Tannie Awards; Wins in the Category Webzines, Blogs, and IT

The Brothers Paris, an association of African-American men in Paris, held its 3rd annual Spring Gala on May 31st. This year, the 1st Annual Tannie Award ceremony was held at the event in honor of Brothers Paris founder, Tannie Stovall. The Brothers awarded prizes for achievement in several categories, including Business, Entertainment, Visual Arts, Cinema, Theater, Film, Literature and Writers, Politics, and Webzines, Blogs, and IT. Discover Paris! was nominated three times in two categories: Literature and Writers, and Webzines, Blogs, and IT. Our own Monique Y. Wells won the prize for Webzines, Blogs, and IT. Congratulations, Monique!

May 2013Arcadia University Study-abroad Students Retrace the Steps of Langston Hughes

A group of students from Arcadia University and their professors recently took our “Retracing the Steps of Langston Hughes” walk as part of the curriculum for their “Americans in Paris” literature course. The two-hour tour explores an area in the 9tharrondissementof Paris where Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes lived and worked for about six months in 1924.

Discover Paris! is now partnering with The Travel Institute to offer a destination specialist continuing education course on Paris as a black heritage destination. It’s called Paris – An Afro-centric Perspective, and successful completion is worth 5 continuing education units to travel professionals who are certified CTA, CTC, or CTIE through The Travel Institute.

Even if you are not a certified travel professional, you can still take the course for your own advancement.

March 2013Successful Debut of “Southern Passion Lounge in Paris” Radio Show

Judging from the number of downloads (over 1,000 as of March 1st), comments appearing on social media, and e-mail messages that we received following the debut of the Southern Passion Lounge in Paris show on BlogTalkRadio, the first broadcast was a tremendous success! On February 21, 2013, co-hosts Chef Amadeus of Jacksonville, Florida and Discover Paris’ Monique Y. Wells set the stage for what promises to be an entertaining and informative visit to the City of Light each month.

The idea for the show developed after Monique wrote blog posts about Chef Dwight Evans of Chicago for the Entrée to Black Paris blog. Chef Evans contacted Chef Amadeus in Jacksonville, Florida and introduced him to Monique. Amadeus then presented the idea of a co-hosted radio show with her.

Amadeus has been hosting a weekly show for foodies and culinary professionals called Southern Passion Lounge on Blog Talk Radio for the past two years and is planning a culinary excursion to Paris in September 2013. Discover Paris! will organize the activities for the trip, including gourmet walks, market tours, cooking classes, and more!

Southern Passion Lounge in Paris will air every 3rd Thursday of the month from 1-2 PM EST / 7-8 PM Paris time. Click here to listen to the first broadcast.

New Release: For Your Dining Pleasure – An Introductory Guide to Dining in Paris

Discover Paris! is pleased to announce the release of For Your Dining Pleasure – an 18-page introductory guide designed to demystify French culinary culture. It contains simple, easy-to-read information about the many types of dining establishments in Paris, what to look forward to when dining in a restaurant, how to shop at food markets, and more. Color photos and recommendations for some of Discover Paris’ favorite cafés, bistrots, and wine bars make this guide even more special! Click here to purchase.

January 2013Special Offer for Entrée to Black Paris ToursIf you are planning a trip to Paris in 2013, walk with us to learn about the amazing history and the vibrant fabric that the African Diaspora weaves in Paris today! We’re offering a $25 discount on the private, guided Entrée to Black Paris walking tour of your choice. Select from Black Paris after World War II, The Black Pearl Walk (featurning Josephine Baker), Retracing the Steps of Langston Hughes, and more! To claim your discount, send an e-mail to info[at]discoverparis[dot]net and include 2013 ETBP Offer in the subject line. We will then work with you to schedule your tour.

Note: This offer expires on January 31st, so claim your discount for your 2013 tour today!

Southern Passion Lounge in Paris Radio ShowChef Amadeus of Jacksonville, Florida has invited Discover Paris’ own Monique Y. Wells to co-host an online radio talk show about Paris. Amadeus has been hosting a weekly show for foodies and culinary professionals called Southern Passion Lounge on Blog Talk Radio for the past two years.

The new, 1-hour show will be broadcast once a month and will feature conversation about not only food and wine, but anything and everything else in Paris that Monique and Amadeus decide to discuss. Monique will select the topics and invite guests. During conversation breaks, Chef Amadeus will play clips by performers who live in Paris. Stay tuned for the announcement of the first show!

New Josephine Baker Tour in Le VésinetEntrée to Black Paris has created a new Josephine Baker walking tour called "Josephine's Suburban Paradise." It unfolds in the Paris suburb of Le Vésinet, where Josephine lived during the height of her long and illustrious career.

With a population of 17,000, Le Vésinet lies a mere 20 minutes to the west of Paris on the RER A railway line. Charming, quiet, and dotted with lakes and parks, the architecture of this town’s private homes is remarkable. One of its prizes is Le Beau Chêne, the mansion that Josephine owned and called home for eighteen years.

The visit begins with a private lunch at Villa La Riante, a 19th century mansion that has been transformed into a beautiful bed and breakfast by Americans Jim and Kristie Worrel.

Kristie is the chef and she lays a magnificent table!

Over dessert, our guide will present an overview of Josephine's life in Le Vésinet. A leisurely stroll through the idyllic town takes place after lunch.

The highlight of the walk is the visit to Le Beau Chêne. The property is private, so we are limited to a view of the mansion from the gate and a stroll around the perimeter of the 3.7-acre grounds. We provide detailed descriptions of the interior as well as anecdotes about events that took place in the mansion.

Other points on the walking tour include a plaque featuring a photo of Josephine at the opening of the Tour de France in 1933. Nearby, at the town hall, participants will learn about Josephine's efforts to re-establish residency in Le Vésinet when she was facing eviction from Les Milandes, her chateau in the Dordogne.

The luncheon and walk are designed for groups of 10-15 persons. For more information, contact us at info[at]discoverparis[dot]net.